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Open Letter to American Figure Skater Johnny Weir

January 20, 2010 | Fur

Dear Johnny Weir,

Johnny Weir

A recent New York Times article discussed your quest for the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics.

The author mentioned your outfit had a "touch of fox" on the shoulders, and, despite your third place showing at the United States Figure Skating Championships on Sunday, you thought your outfit "looked pretty."

Please consider that there's nothing pretty about the fox that suffered and died to trim your outfit. The beautiful fox was likely anally electrocuted, or may have had its head bashed in, only to serve as decoration for someone's performance.

If you buy fur, no matter what size piece, or which animal it comes from, you're supporting an industry that has no respect for animals.

You say that you want to bring an "artistic style" to the Olympics, stating that "everyone can do jumps." But, as past Olympic champions have shown us, style isn't everything. In addition to skill, you must also have a sense of decorum in order to bring home the gold. And projecting a conscientious view of the planet's animals is a starting point.

While you may believe that wearing fur is a "personal choice," kindly know that the animals you wear had no such choice. The fur doesn't magically slide off these beautiful beings. Their nightmare begins in the cramped cages they spend their lives in, where they are forced to lay in their own feces, and ends with first cut in their anuses. Or maybe some animals you wear were caught in leghold traps, and struggled in vain to gnaw off their legs? Either way, there is nothing glamorous or pretty about the cruelty they endured. And it can't be morally justified either.

Friends of Animals urges you, for the sake of humanity, your Olympic ambitions and the hopes of all Americans this winter, to stop wearing the skins of animals. Instead, wow the judges with amazing performances. In the end, nobody cares what a figure skater wears. You will only be judged on your performance and the strength of your character.

Comments

Submitted by Elizabeth Salz on Thu, 2010-01-21 23:11

Shame on you!! I used to love you as a skater & now I can't stand the ground you walk on. You are a disgrace to the human race. I'm glad now you've had so many problems in your skating career & could never quite make it to the top...it couldn't have happened to more of a jerk. Karma'a a bitch, Johnny. May you be reborn as one of the animals you hate so much. Hopefully one on a mink farm. See how you like that horrifying life & death. Ugh.

While I cannot take credit for the following excerpt, it certainly bears posting here . . .
"Human hands will strap a metal noose around my neck. They will pull me out of my cage by the neck. My initial joy at leaving the cage will shift to terror as the same human hands shove an electric prod into my rectum. They will yank my mouth open to force a metal conductor down my throat. I will panic just before they flip a switch to shoot 240 volts of electricity through my body. My eyes will close in pain and my body will grow rigid. Iâ€™ll emit a crackling sound just before my teeth fall out. The force of the shock will make the anal probe fall out. Iâ€™ll convulse and cry out as they electrocute me over and over.
The pain will be unbearable. The electric current wonâ€™t stun my brain, so Iâ€™ll remain fully conscious up to 2 minutes to feel the excruciating force of massive heart attack.
Millions of animals live intensively confined on fur farms, to eventually die by genital electrocution, neck snapping, gassing, clubbing or drowning.
Millions more suffer in steel-jaw leghold traps, to be stomped to death under the feet of trappers. There is no such thing as humane fur coat or trim. I may only be a fox to you. Still, I ask you to consider the truth behind the fur trade...and to reconsider before you purchase my violent death."

Real men don't wear fur. Real men don't glory in the barbaric cruelty that produces a fur garment. You're a disgrace to your sport and to your country and I sincerely hope your career is short. I personally will never watch one of your performances again and I am confident in saying that the world would be better off without you in it. I know the animals who are tortured on your behalf would certainly concur. You disgust me.

What a beautifully written letter! Lets hope that Johnny Weir makes the right decision and gets rid of the fur. This is not about us controlling your style, this is about the pain & cruelty suffered by the animals that you choose to wear!! Sir Paul McCartney always looks impecibly stylish, he wows people wherever he goes...and he is against the fur industry. You can wow the crowd with your talent and style without the cruelty! If anything, the added fur takes away from your performance...you see style, we see death. Please feel for the animals! Please be more stylish and just say NO to fur, thank you.

Words just fail me...cruel and barbaric! I think Johnny Weir has lost many fans over this fur wearing issue. But hey, he gained many critics! I'm sure his career will be dead soon...just like the animals he wears.